The present invention relates to systems for providing noninvasive cranial nerve stimulation and methods for using the same. The present invention administers therapy through electrodes that are noninvasively attached to one or more of a subject's cranial nerve. The systems can be used to enhancing rehabilitation and recovery by improving neuroplasticity and coupling muscle training with feedback.

The present invention provides an eating monitoring method for judging whether chewing is performed or not by a chewing judgment algorithm on the basis of a temporal variation in a measured value of a sensor unit configured to detect a movement of a jaw while a person takes a meal, the person wearing a detection device comprising the sensor unit. The method includes the steps of: adjusting the chewing judgment algorithm on the basis of a variation in a measured value of the sensor unit, the variation corresponding to a chewing action or a mouth opening/closing action of the person wearing the detection device; and judging whether chewing is performed or not by the chewing judgment algorithm which has been adjusted, and measuring the number of chews on the basis of a temporal variation in a measured value of the sensor unit during the meal.

The present invention discloses a link motion-based food swallowing simulator comprising a swallowing module including a bionic oral cavity assembly, a shred collecting assembly and a supporting assembly wherein two side plates of a maxillary base of the bionic oral cavity assembly connect to a mounting plate of the supporting assembly, wherein the shred collecting assembly is positioned on a mounting base of the supporting assembly; an adjusting module, positioned under the mounting base, includes a bearing assembly and an adjusting assembly wherein the bearing assembly is disposed on the adjusting assembly, achieving the simulation of the food swallowing mechanism from static to dynamic. The adoption of the driving module realizes the swallowing action through link motion simulation, simulating the swallowing process of the human body and the swallowing process of the patient lying on the back through adjusting modules, improving the swallowing situation with higher adaptability.

A method can classify cervical accelerometry data acquired for a swallowing event to identify a possible swallowing impairment in a candidate. The method can include receiving axis-specific vibrational data for an anterior-posterior (A-P) axis and a superior-inferior (S-I) axis and representative of the swallowing event, for example from an accelerometer operatively coupled to a processing module that is a local or remote computing device. The method can include extracting one or more specific meta-features from the data and then outputting from the processing module a classification of the swallowing event based on the extracted meta-features, for example a first classification indicative of normal swallowing or a second classification indicative of possibly impaired swallowing.

The present invention is directed to a balloon based system and method for measuring gastrointestinal motility. The balloon can be a stand-alone balloon with pressure sensing capabilities or the balloon can be deployed as a component of a catheter-based system. The balloon can be deployed in an uninflated state and can be inflated with fluid such as air, water, or other biocompatible fluid while disposed within the gastrointestinal tract. The pressure sensor can take the form of a pressure sensor disposed within the balloon or disposed on a surface of the balloon. Additional, sensors can also be applied to monitor other conditions, function, or disease state.

The Breast Sense Feeding Monitor provides real-time measurement of breastfeeding metrics including milk volume and infant suck and swallow characteristics over multiple feedings. The wearable design lends itself to versions suitable for both home and in-clinic use.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for providing feeding reinforcement in real-time or near real-time based on physiological sensor data acquired during feeding. In some examples, music reinforcement is rendered when one or more feeding features indicative of one or more feeding behaviors are detected using the physiological sensor data. When at least one feature is not detected, the music reinforcement is stopped. In this way, contingent reinforcement is provided in real-time or near real-time based on detection of the one or more feeding behaviors to encourage and improve independent feeding behavior.

Provided is a biological examination apparatus and a biological information analysis method capable of quickly grasping a two-dimensional motions of the up-down and front-back directions of the thyroid cartilage and the lingual bone accompanied by a swallowing sound as swallowing dynamics by a non-invasive examination. In the biological examination apparatus of the present invention, an up-down motion component associated with an up-down motion of the thyroid cartilage and a front-back motion component associated with a front-back motion of the thyroid cartilage are extracted from a fitting result obtained by fitting a model function modeling a swallowing motion to distance information based on detection data detected by a larynx portion displacement detector, and a two-dimensional trajectory data indicating behavior trajectories of an up-down direction and a front-back direction of the thyroid cartilage is generated based on the extracted up-down motion component and the extracted front-back motion component.

A method for monitoring feeding maturation in premature babies, the method including measuring an acoustic response from a baby during a selected time period to provide acoustic information; comparing the measured acoustic response against a train data set to determine an indication of a swallow event; and measuring a respiration pattern of the baby during a swallow cycle using a peak and valley model to provide respiration data, where a feeding maturity of the baby is determinable in dependence on the swallow indication and respiration data.

An examination device includes a processor, and the processor detects, in swallowing videoendoscopy in which an inflow object is given to a subject and a swallowing action is observed, at least two timings among a swallowing instruction timing at which a swallowing instruction is given, an inflow timing of the inflow object into the pharynx during the swallowing action, and a swallowing reflex triggering timing in the subject.